Ipswich 0, Birmingham City 1: Colin Tattum's Birmingham Mail verdict

Dec 27 2008 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

He swopped passes with McFadden and let rip with a volley from the angle of the box that flashed just wide.

Next McFadden sprung the offside trap and drilled the ball across the face of the goal but too quickly for Cameron Jerome.

Ipswich brought on Darren Ambrose in the 58th minute and switched to a 4-4-2 formation, shoving Stead up front to partner Kevin Lisbie.

Blues, warned in the week about giving away careless free-kicks, did just that twice in succession through Radhi Jaidi and Liam Ridgewell. The first, struck low and under the jumping wall by Ambrose, was snaffled by Maik Taylor and the second was much closer, Campo arching it just wide from inches the other side of the 18-yard line.

Queudrue was substituted by Nicky Hunt in the 65th minute so Stuart Parnaby shuffled along the backline to left back, then Marcus Bent replaced McFadden (69).

Ipswich made their final substitution by sending on Pablo Counago for Volz in a move to salvage something from what had been a low-key affair in front of a muted Suffolk crowd.

With 10 minutes left Portman Road did rouse itself of sorts to deliver a ‘what a load of rubbish’ verdict on Jim Magilton’s side.

That should have increased Blues’ confidence to maintain the advantage – and it did.

Ridgewell and Jaidi stood impressively strong as Ipswich were reduced to desperation stakes as time ebbed away, and when Hunt hooked away a Lisbie shot that took a deflection and might have bobbled past Taylor, the game was truly up for Ipswich.

IPSWICH (4-3-3/4-4-2): Wright, Volz (Counago, 75), Thatcher, Campo, McAuley, Haynes (Walters, 28), Norris, Miller, Stead, Lisbie, Quinn (Ambrose, 58). Not used: Supple, Balkestein.

BLUES (4-4-2): Taylor 6, Parnaby 6, Queudrue 6 (Hunt, 65, 6), Jaidi 7, Ridgewell 7, Agustien 5, JOHNSON 7, Carsley 6, Jerome 6, McFadden 6 (Bent, 69, 6), Murphy 5. Not used: Phillips, Quincy, Doyle.

Referee: I Williamson (Berkshire).